Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Tuesday 16 November 1999

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to distribute the £40 million aid package for Scottish agriculture.

Ross Finnie: £20 million out of the £40 million aid package for farmers which I announced on 20 September will be disbursed to hill cattle and sheep farmers as an enhancement to the headage rates paid under the Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances Scheme. This money will be paid next spring.

  The remaining £20 million will cover the costs of the cattle passport system (£10 million) and the charges associated with the control of SRM removal in meat plants (also £10 million). This support will continue until March 2002.

Birds

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who appointed the Scottish Raptor Group and who are the board members.

Sarah Boyack: I am not aware that such a group exists. The Scottish Raptor Study Groups are groups established on a regional basis to monitor raptors in Scotland. They are voluntary organisations and membership records are not held by the Executive.

Community Care

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Parliament will have an opportunity to debate the proposed amendments to the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 and the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 as contained within the Immigration and Asylum Bill.

Iain Gray: The Immigration and Asylum Act, including the amendments it makes to the legislation mentioned, relates to the reserved matter of immigration. This is not, therefore, a matter over which the Scottish Parliament has legislative competence.

Culture

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what enquiries it has instituted, or asked a third party to institute, regarding any deficit incurred by Scottish Opera.

Mr Sam Galbraith: We have asked the Scottish Arts Council to keep us informed of developments in its discussions with Scottish Opera. There have in addition been meetings between my officials and Scottish Opera.

Economy

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which current economic indicator statistics are published with information on Scotland, which economic indicator statistics are produced for the UK as a whole but not for Scotland, and what plans it has to produce statistics for Scotland where only UK statistics exist.

Nicol Stephen: The range of official economic statistics compiled for Scotland is kept under regular review taking account of a number of considerations which are described in detail in a recent article in the Scottish Economic Bulletin ( The Scottish Economy: Official Statistics for the New Millenium , SEB no. 56).

  This review of statistical outputs in Scotland incorporates the examination of the full range of economic indicators, in order that consideration may be given to producing the data series that are most appropriate to aiding informed analysis of the Scottish economy.

  A full list of the official economic indicators available for Scotland was published in a recent article in the Scottish Economic Bulletin (Sources of Official Statistics on the Scottish Economy SEB no. 55). This will be updated early in 2000.

  Copies of the above publications will be made available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Elderly People

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1933 by Iain Gray on 7 October 1999, how many elderly and frail people are currently in day care centres in East Lothian and the Borders, how many applications for such facilities have been refused over the past 12 months, how many are pending, and how many people are on waiting lists for such facilities.

Iain Gray: The following two tables show (a) the number of elderly and frail people in day care centres, and (b) the number of clients on waiting lists for day care centre facilities for East Lothian and Scottish Borders. These tables relate to March 1998. Information relating to refusal of applications for such facilities and pending applications is not available.

  Number of Elderly and Frail People in Day Care Centres in East Lothian and Scottish Borders, 19981

 Local authorityNumber of elderly and frail people2 in day care centres3  East Lothian   27 Scottish Borders   387   

  Source: D1-B census form (Community Care Statistics Division)

  Notes:

  1. The most recent census was undertaken in the week ending 29 March 1998.

  

These figures 
  include all clients aged 65 years or over attending day centres 
  plus clients with dementia aged under 65 years.


The figures 
  exclude centres with less than four places, as these are usually 
  attached to residential homes.



  Number of People on Waiting Lists for Day Care Centre Facilities in East Lothian and Scottish Borders, 19981

 Local AuthorityNumber of people on waiting lists2 for day care centres3  East Lothian   4 Scottish Borders   11   

  Source: D1-B census form (Community Care Statistics Division)

  Notes:

  1. The most recent census was undertaken in the week ending 29 March 1998.

  

These figures 
  are for all client groups – figures specifically for the elderly 
  and frail people are not available but would be a subset of the 
  total given.


The figures 
  exclude centres with less than four places, as these are usually 
  attached to residential homes.

Environment

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has commissioned into the potential impact of road charging and workplace parking charges on the pattern of land use in and around Scotland’s towns and cities.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is preparing a research programme in association with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the key Scottish local authorities. This research will include the potential impact on land use in urban areas.

Environment

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to protect the marine and coastal environments of Scotland, and the livelihoods of those who work in related industries and businesses, from the effects of pollution caused by the discharge of plutonium into the Irish Sea and whether such plans take account of a recent study by the Norwegian Radiation Protection Board and the Federal German Office for Maritime Shipping and Hydrography which showed that such discharges may travel up to 1,000 kms around the Scottish coastline.

Sarah Boyack: Several studies have shown that marine currents carry radioactivity discharged to the Irish Sea to considerable distances from the point of discharge, in this case the Sellafield site. The levels of activity detected, however, are very small.

  Discharges from Sellafield are regulated by authorisations issued by the Environment Agency for England and Wales. In order to protect the food chain and the environment near the Sellafield site, those authorisations contain a clause requiring the operator to take the best practicable means to reduce the level of radioactivity in discharges from the site. As a result of that requirement, levels of plutonium in Sellafield discharges have fallen very considerably over the years. Extensive monitoring around the Sellafield site and in the marine environment of the United Kingdom indicates that levels of radioactivity fall rapidly with distance from the site. Consequently, there is no need for additional protection measures to be taken in Scotland. Monitoring of the UK marine environment around Sellafield will continue.

Environment

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that the Ministry of Defence/HM Naval Base Clyde has been or is being fined £30,000 for a diesel leak from an as yet unidentified source in HM Naval Base Clyde.

Sarah Boyack: Neither the Scottish Executive nor the Scottish Environment Protection Agency is aware of any such case.

Europe

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the subjects of any discussions or correspondence it has had with Her Majesty’s Government in relation to the formulation of the UK policy position on European Union issues which relate to both devolved and non-devolved matters.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive is and will continue to be in regular discussion with the UK Government on a variety of EU issues, to ensure that the Scottish point of view is taken into account in UK negotiating positions. Contact follows the procedures laid down in the Concordat on Co-ordination of European Union policy issues.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what are the estimated costs in real and cash terms in each year from the launch going forward of the Scotland House office in Brussels in capital, running and staff costs and from which budget line the funding for this will be provided.

Mr Jack McConnell: As advised in my answer to Mr Wilson’s question S1W-1437, the budget for the Scottish Executive EU Office comes from the Administration Vote 6. That answer gave a detailed breakdown of the budget for 1999-2000.

  Given that this budget was drawn up for the first year of operation of the new office before the final staff team was in place, certain assumptions about costs had to be made. Once the office has been operational for six months the budget will be reviewed and next year’s draft budget drawn up in the light of that experience. At present no further estimated costs for future years have been calculated.

Finance

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the European Regional Development Fund money being made available through the special programme for the Highlands and Islands 2000-06 can competently be used to improve the area’s transport infrastructure, including roads.

Mr Jack McConnell: The draft Plan for the special programme provides for improvements to communications, including roads, under Priority 2. The Plan is now subject to discussion and negotiation with the European Commission. I understand that the Commission has previously made it clear that it does not consider transport infrastructure should be given particular priority other than in exceptional circumstances.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to support the fishing industry’s call for Government funding to be made available in Scotland towards the modernisation and renewal of the Scottish fishing fleet which will then allow access to specific European Union funding.

Mr John Home Robertson: The measures referred to form part of the proposals for a new Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) which is the subject of ongoing EU negotiations. It is not yet clear to what extent eligibility for vessel construction and modernisation funding will be linked to Multi-Annual Guidance Programme targets and vessel capacity reduction criteria. I shall discuss with the industry priorities for FIFG expenditure.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by Mr John Home Robertson on 6 September 1999, what progress has been made in introducing the £3 million per annum support funding to the salmon farming industry being handled by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and when will the terms of the support scheme be made clear to salmon farmers.

Mr John Home Robertson: Details of the scheme to assist fish and shellfish farmers directly affected by Infectious Salmon Anaemia were announced by HIE on 7 October. Applications have been received and are under consideration.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Rural Affairs Department officials have visited Shetland, or plan to visit Shetland, to discuss with the Shetland salmon farmers practical means of simplifying or relaxing the Infectious Salmon Anaemia control measures.

Mr John Home Robertson: There are no plans for officials to visit Shetland in the near future, but we will be happy to receive representations from the industry.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1661 by Mr John Home Robertson on 6 October 1999, what progress is being made in developing a vaccine against Infectious Salmon Anaemia and whether a timescale for its development, approval and introduction has been proposed.

Mr John Home Robertson: All that can be added to the answer given to the earlier question is that the Scottish Executive is aware of a number of companies currently undertaking development work with a vaccine to combat the Scottish strain of ISA.

Food

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was consulted by the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food about Her Majesty’s Government’s approach to the French ban on British beef.

Ross Finnie: Scottish Ministers and their officials have been, and continue to be, in regular contact with their opposite numbers in Whitehall on this issue and are actively involved in determining the UK response to the continuing French ban. The Scottish Executive fully supports the approach taken to resolve this matter in the best interests of Scotland’s beef industry.

Food

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1854 by Ross Finnie on 20 October 1999, whether, for the purposes of the Food Labelling Regulations 1996, Scotland and not the UK is regarded as "the country of origin or provenance".

Ross Finnie: For the purposes of the Food Labelling Regulations 1999 Scotland can be regarded as a "country of origin or provenance".

Food

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with implementing the Food Standards Act 1999 and setting up the Food Standards Agency in Scotland.

Susan Deacon: The Food Standards Bill received Royal Assent on 11 November. The establishment of the Agency underlines the Executive’s commitment to food safety, from farm to fork. We will make sure that the Agency gets the best possible start so that it can quickly achieve its paramount aim of protecting public health and meet the challenges that it will undoubtedly face. Arrangements are underway for setting up the Scottish arm of the Agency to be based in Aberdeen and the independent Scottish Food Advisory Committee to advise on food safety issues in Scotland. We are currently recruiting the Scottish Director and the process of recruiting the members of the Advisory Committee begins at the end of the month.

Health

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with Fife Health Board’s plans for public consultation regarding the future of acute services in Fife.

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances can be given that no final decision has been made regarding acute services in Fife, given that Fife Health Board has already made public its preferred option.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive expects Health Boards to undertake thorough consultation on their strategic proposals. In doing so, Health Boards should consult all bodies with a valid interest in time to allow all comments to be considered and taken into account before they take final decisions. We expect Fife Health Board to follow this process in taking forward its proposals for acute services.

  The Executive is aware that the Health Board has declared its preferred configuration for acute services. However, the Health Board will be reviewing its proposals in the light of the outcome of the options appraisal that has still to be completed, public discussion and formal consultation which is scheduled to commence in January 2000. Following consultation the Health Board will submit to us any final decisions that require our approval.

Higher Education

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the number and percentage of students making a contribution towards their tuition fees who will pay more than (i) £994; (ii) £989; (iii) £949; (iv) £899; (v) £849; (vi) £799; (vii) £749; (viii) £699; (viiii) £649; (x) £599; (xi) £549 and (xii) £499.

Henry McLeish: The information requested is shown in the table below. Figures quoted are for 1998-99 the last full year for which data is available.

  


£  


New Scheme Students1 
  Contributing to Tuition Fees 


% of New Scheme 
  Students1 (35,158) 




1-499 
  

4,477 
  

12.73 
  



500-549 
  

359 
  

1.02 
  



550-599 
  

361 
  

1.03 
  



600-649 
  

313 
  

0.89 
  



650-699 
  

346 
  

0.98 
  



700-749 
  

306 
  

0.87 
  



750-799 
  

300 
  

0.85 
  



800-849 
  

298 
  

0.85 
  



850-899 
  

271 
  

0.77 
  



900-950 
  

272 
  

0.77 
  



950-989 
  

209 
  

0.59 
  



990-994 
  

23 
  

0.07 
  



>994 (2)


8,080 
  

22.98 
  



Total 
  

15,615 
  

44.41 
  



  Notes:

  
New Scheme 
  students are those students entering a full time course of higher 
  education in 1998-99 or later who are liable to contribute to a 
  means tested tuition fee.
Includes those 
  students who have been means tested and are required to pay the 
  full tuition fee themselves.

Higher Education

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the total number of students in higher education in Scotland dealt with by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland and list (a) how many of those students will pay a contribution towards their tuition fees in the academic year 1999-2000 and (b) how many of those students will pay no contribution towards their tuition fees in the academic year 1999-2000

Henry McLeish: As at 7 November the number of cases received and calculated by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland is 97,429 of which: -

  (a) 20,944 relate to SAAS students who make a contribution towards their tuition fees.

  (b) 71,501 relate to SAAS students not making a contribution towards their tuition fees.

  (c) 4,984 relate to self-funding students not eligible for tuition fee assessment.

  The number of cases received and calculated for academic year 1999-2000 will be further increased when applications are received from those students starting their course of study in January.

  Students not making a contribution towards their tuition fees in academic year 1999-2000 include continuing students who retain the right to have their full fees paid, in full, by SAAS and some other categories who are not liable to make a contribution. The proportion of these students will decline over time as continuing students complete their courses of study.

Housing

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what are the projected deficits or surpluses in housing revenue accounts and general service budgets for the current financial year in each of Scotland’s local authorities and what percentage of budgeted expenditure do these variances represent.

Mr Jack McConnell: Local authorities are not allowed to budget for a deficit in either their general funds or the housing revenue accounts.

  The returns collected by my Department do not include comprehensive information on the surpluses which local authorities are projecting on their General Funds each year. However the table below shows those local authorities which have budgeted for a net restoration of balances in their General Fund for the current year. Authorities may be accounting for other surpluses in special funds.

  


Local Authority 


Restoration of 
  Balances Budget Estimates 1999-2000 


Balances as % 
  of Total Net Expenditure 



 

£000 
  

% 
  



Angus  
  

200 
  

0.15 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

2,898 
  

2.21 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

2,550 
  

2.48 
  



Edinburgh, City 
  

3,800 
  

0.67 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

51 
  

0.07 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

1,417 
  

0.80 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

291 
  

0.07 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

6,700 
  

1.75 
  



  Estimated HRA surpluses in 1999-2000, much of which are planned to transfer to capital accounts, are shown in the table below.

  


Local Authority 


Estimated HRA 
  Surpluses £000 


Surplus as % 
  of Budgeted HRA Expenditure 




Aberdeen City  
  

18,376 
  

31 
  



Aberdeenshire  
  

8,847 
  

25 
  



Angus  
  

4,377 
  

26 
  



Argyll & Bute  
  

4,017 
  

23 
  



Clackmannanshire  
  

3,890 
  

27 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

6,603 
  

22 
  



Dundee City 
  

1,300 
  

3 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

4,474 
  

15 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

0 
  

0 
  



East Lothian  
  

3,351 
  

18 
  



East Renfrewshire  
  

110 
  

1 
  



Edinburgh City 
  

2,633 
  

3 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

345 
  

4 
  



Falkirk  
  

9,496 
  

20 
  



Fife  
  

12,847 
  

17 
  



Glasgow City  
  

19,856 
  

8 
  



Highland  
  

3,707 
  

8 
  



Inverclyde  
  

510 
  

2 
  



Midlothian 
  

3,725 
  

28 
  



Moray  
  

400 
  

3 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

4,192 
  

13 
  



North Lanarkshire  
  

7,065 
  

8 
  



Orkney Islands  
  

100 
  

6 
  



Perth & Kinross  
  

6,928 
  

28 
  



Renfrewshire  
  

2,030 
  

5 
  



Scottish Borders  
  

1,283 
  

9 
  



Shetland Islands  
  

0 
  

0 
  



South Ayrshire  
  

2,636 
  

13 
  



South Lanarkshire  
  

3,788 
  

5 
  



Stirling  
  

1,800 
  

10 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

200 
  

1 
  



West Lothian  
  

6,842 
  

21 
  



SCOTLAND 
  

145,727 
  
 



  Local authorities have budgeted to use the estimated HRA surpluses in 1999-2000 in a variety of ways. £100 million will be used to fund additional capital expenditure on the housing stock; £43 million will be carried forward to 2000-01 and £3 million will be transferred to the General Fund or other Reserve Funds.

Housing

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-999 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 2 September 1999, whether it has any plans to begin the collection of information on eviction actions.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Information is already available in respect of (a) eviction decrees issued by the courts (but not broken down into categories of tenants as specified in question S1W-999) and (b) actual evictions (from 1998-99) from tenancies with housing associations and co-operatives registered with Scottish Homes. We are currently considering, with local authorities, whether information about eviction actions, and actual evictions, in respect of council tenants should in future be collected centrally. Any such arrangements, if agreed, will apply from 1 April 2000.

Information Technology

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what emergency planning provision has been made to prepare for the possibility of year 2000 computer problems affecting the shiplift and other facilities at the Clyde Naval Base given the potential environmental and health consequences of any accidents.

Angus MacKay: Health and environmental consequences are uppermost in the priorities of the Ministry of Defence, emergency services, local authorities and health boards when preparing emergency plans. These are regularly rehearsed, reviewed and revised to take account of all known threats and risks. Specific responsibility for addressing the possibility of year 2000 computer problems affecting facilities at Clyde Naval Base, however, lies with the Secretary of State for Defence.

Justice

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the rules governing the Victims Notification Scheme, in particular to permit notification to victims of the release of a person from custody where, although the person in custody was under 18 years of age at the time of the commitment of the crime, he or she is over 18 at the date of release.

Mr Jim Wallace: The present Victim Notification Scheme would not prevent the victims of crime being notified of the release of a person from custody in these circumstances. The age of a person at the time of committing a crime would not in itself prevent the victim or, in the case of homicide, next of kin, being notified of that person’s release from custody under the Victim Notification Scheme.

Land Reform

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made so far to implement its Land Reform Action Plan, published in August 1999.

Mr Jim Wallace: Our Land Reform Action Plan sets out an integrated programme of action and legislation on land reform over the next four or five years. It has 43 separate items, and demonstrates the scale of our commitment to change.

  I promised that we would publish regular updates to show how we are delivering on our promises. The first of these progress reports is published today. All MSPs are receiving copies.

  I am delighted to say that it shows that we have already achieved five of our targets and that we have made significant progress on a wide range of other items. Further progress reports will be published quarterly.

  There will be an opportunity for a Debate on this on 24 November.

Rural Affairs

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order 1998 (SI 1998/46) to ensure that employment defined therein as "customary" is not excluded from protection.

Ross Finnie: Under the current Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order (No 46) 1998, hill shepherds are paid at a weekly rate for all hours worked on the "customary" duties related to tending sheep. This rate includes a notional allowance for overtime. Actual overtime is paid only when a hill shepherd undertakes additional duties unrelated to sheep.

  From 1 January 2000, hill shepherds will be paid a basic rate for the first 39 hours worked each week and an overtime rate for any additional hours regardless of the nature of the work undertaken. The reference to "customary" duties will disappear from the new Wages Order, but hill shepherds will have the same level of protection of pay and conditions of service as all other agricultural workers.

  The Scottish Agricultural Wages Board is responsible for making Wages Orders.

Social Work

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1933 by Iain Gray on 7 October 1999, what guidelines have been issued about what constitutes appropriate facilities to meet the needs of people under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 and how these are monitored.

Iain Gray: Guidance on the care needs of frail older people and adult day care provision was issued to local authorities on 28 July and 17 August 1998 respectively. I am arranging for copies to be sent. Plans for service provision are monitored through Community Care Plans and the Scottish Executive collects data on existing service provision from local authorities.

Sport

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the three year contract from 1 January 1999 worth £160,000 a year between AR Ltd and the National Stadium plc is consistent with the assurances regarding the future management of the project to which its contribution of £2 million was subject, whether there is any provision in the contract for a one-off payment of £160,000 to Austin Reilly or AR Ltd in the event of termination of the contract by The National Stadium plc and, if so, whether any of its contribution of £2 million could be used to fund this payment.

Rhona Brankin: The details of the contract between The National Stadium plc and AR Ltd are a matter for the two parties concerned. One of the conditions attaching to the further financial contributions of all the co-funders’ is that a new management structure is put in place. The role of TNS in the future management of the stadium is therefore an element in the ongoing negotiations and discussions.

  None of the Scottish Executive’s contribution of £2 million to the rescue package will be paid over until the co-funders’ pre-conditions have been met. The co-funders’ money will be used to help pay off debts to Queen’s Park Football Club’s creditors.

Sport

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the resignation of William Samuel this month as a Director of The National Stadium plc has any implications for compliance with the assurances regarding the future management of the National Stadium project to which its contribution of £2 million was subject.

Rhona Brankin: Only to the extent that the role of The National Stadium generally is being reviewed as part of putting in place a new management structure for the ongoing stadium operation.

Trade

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation it has undertaken to inform its input into developing Her Majesty’s Government’s position for the forthcoming World Trade Organisation negotiations on trade and investment.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with DTI on a wide range of issues, including WTO negotiations impacting on Executive’s responsibilities.

Transport

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has commissioned into the potential impact of road charging on the rate of traffic accidents and the number of resultant injuries and fatalities.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is preparing a research programme in association with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the key Scottish local authorities. This research will include road safety.

Transport

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has commissioned into the potential economic impact of road charging and workplace parking charges on Scotland’s towns and cities.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is preparing a research programme in association with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the key Scottish local authorities. This research will include the potential economic impact on Scotland’s towns and cities.

Transport

Ms Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to decrease the concentration of buses operating at peak times and to increase the number of buses operating at non-peak times.

Sarah Boyack: The provision of bus services is a matter for individual bus operators using their commercial judgement on the level and frequency of services. It is the responsibility of the relevant local authority or public transport authority to identify where there is a social need for particular bus services which are not provided by operators on a commercial basis, and to make subsidy available, if it so chooses, to procure such services through competitive tendering. We will be bringing forward, later this session, new bus legislation in a Transport Bill which will seek to provide a statutory basis for bus quality partnerships.

Transport

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the distribution is by time and travel to work area of hours lost by drivers and passengers of private cars because of congestion in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Sarah Boyack: The information requested is not held centrally.

Transport

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish targets for the impact of its proposed road charging legislation on the number of hours lost by drivers and passengers due to congestion.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to publish such a target.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what are the costs of expanding the M8 to a six-lane highway between Edinburgh and Glasgow and of dedicating the additional lane to HGV and public transport.

Sarah Boyack: Based on a study undertaken for the Scottish Office in 1994, which considered the section of the route between Junction 2 (Edinburgh-Newbridge) and Junction 6 (Newhouse), and more recent work relating to the Newhouse to Glasgow (Baillieston) section, it is estimated that it would cost £238 million (excluding VAT) to upgrade the route between Newbridge and Baillieston to dual three-lane standard. No estimates of the additional costs that would be involved in designating a lane for HGVs and public transport and ensuring the safe operation of such an arrangement have been made.

Transport

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to Her Majesty’s Government to reduce the level of vehicle excise duty on lorries in order to bring it in line with the level of excise duty in other European Union countries.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in touch with the UK government on a wide range of issues on a regular basis.

Transport

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has identified any distinctly Scottish issues relating to rail safety including the high number of single-track lines and level crossings on many lines in Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: Under Schedule five of the Scotland Act 1998, the provision and regulation of railway services, which includes rail safety, is a reserved matter. These are the responsibility of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions within the UK government.

  Vandalism is a particular problem for rail safety in Scotland. 94% of all train accidents in Scotland in the year to 31 March 1999 were caused by vandalism, as against 59% for Great Britain as a whole. I will shortly be meeting the Chief Constable and Assistant Chief Constable (Area Commander Scotland) of the British Transport Police to discuss this and other issues.

  Single-track lines and level crossings are found in many places on the GB network.

Transport

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-561 by Sarah Boyack on 19 August, why the report on the future of Caledonian MacBrayne ferries on the Firth of Clyde has not yet been published and when it will be.

Sarah Boyack: A consultation paper on CalMac’s Gourock-Dunoon service is being prepared and will be published shortly.

Water

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend Schedule 7, paragraph 3 of the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 to permit the appointment of more than 11 members of water and sewerage authorities.

Sarah Boyack: We have no plans to expand the membership of the Water Authorities beyond that currently allowed under the Act.

Water

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning approvals for covered sewage tanks have been granted to West of Scotland Water, and how many of these planning approvals have subsequently been the subject of appeals to the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: The West of Scotland Water Authority has been granted two planning approvals subject to the condition that it covers sewage settlement tanks with lids (Oban and Rothesay Waste Water Treatment Works). Both conditional planning consents are currently the subject of appeals.